Photosculpture apparatus.



No. 675,4!7. 1 Patented June 4, l90l. w. A. c. SELKE. PHOTOSGULPTURE APPARATUS.

(Apphcntmn filed an 20 1898) (No llodal.)

Zl/Z' inesa es lnyenior:

UN TED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

WILLY ALFRED, CARL SELKE, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

PHOTOSCUL PTURE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 675,417, dated June 4, 1901.

' Application filed January 20, 1898. Serial No. 667,251. (No model.)

To all whom, it mayconcern:

Beit known that I, WI LY ALFRED CARL SELKE, asubject of the German Emperor, and

, lowing is a specification.

,VIS

This invention allows of the prod uction of a plastic representation in relief or in full model of any solid form, and more especially of living persons, by means of a process based upon the use of photography in the manner hereinafter described.

The principle of this invention consists in making from the model to be represented by means of a kinematograph or consecutive- View apparatus a seriesof photographs which repectively represent so much of the form as lies between the sensitive film and a definite plane parallel thereto, said plane being shifted for each photograph, so as to intersect the model more or less close to the camera, so that from the silhouettes or outlines of such photographs, which are afterward placed with regard to one another in proper relative position and in respective planes corresponding to the planes of intersection on'the model, there may be reproduced a relief or representationof the form of the original model.

The annexed drawing represents a perspective View of the apparatus.

A carriage 1 carries the lights 2, which may be of any number, all in one plane, to which the axis of the lens ofthe photographic apparatus 4 is perpendicular, and a light-screen 3 of such a kind that its edge is in the same plane as the lights 2.

The model to be photographed "(represented in the figure by a cone) is placed-as at 6, for instance-within the screen 3, and it is necessary that there shall be relative movement between the model and the carriage, so that the plane in which are the lights 2 and the edge of the screen 3 may be caused to intersect the model at different distances from that point of the model which is nearest the photographic apparatus. For this purpose the carriage may be connected with the photographic apparatus 4 in any manner--for instance, by means of a chain 5-'so that when the photographic apparatus is set in action for taking successive photographs the carriage may be simultaneously moved to a different distance from the photographic apparatus. The photographic apparatus which is preferably employed is a'kin'ematographic or similar apparatus of any known construction which is adapted-to take a series of photograps in rapid succession. The construction of said apparatus forming no part of the present inventionis not illustrated in the drawing. It will be sufficient to say that the pulley 0 moves in correspondence with the action of. the pl1otographic apparatus and by means of the chain 5, passing over pulleys a Z) 0, moves the carriage l. H

The operation of the foregoing apparatus is as follows: The carriage is so placed that rays from the light 2 do not yet touch the model. The photographic apparatus 4: is set in action, and by means of the chain 5 the carriage, with the lights 2 and screen 3, is moved simultaneously rearward, so that the light which passes the edge of the screen 3 illuminates the model gradually from the front rearward-that is to say, so much of the model, as lies forwardly of the vertical plane the lights 2. This plane moving in successive stages rearward thus brings successively into the field of illumination more and more of the surface of the model 6 until all the sur face of the model that would be visible from the camera-lens is brought into illumination, always observing that the limiting line be-- tween the eclipsed and illuminated portions of the surface lies in a plane to which the axis of the camera lens is perpendicular. During this movement the photographic mechanism takes a series of successive photographs of the model. It will thus be understood that the photographs successively taken will each represent so much of the model as was illuminated at the moment it was taken. Thus the outline of each part photographed will coincide with the plane so a: of the limit of illumination at the time the photograph was taken. The series of photographs thus obtained can be used in different Ways. For example, by developing them as negatives and blacking out the details Within the aforesaid outlines silhouettes are formed corresponding each to the outline at the a: 00 containing the edge of the screen 3 and v and consequentlytho series of silhouettesis usable by superposition at proper distances 'to reproduce the Olltlil'lGSjfOIf the successive, positions of the plane a; w. '1 Thus by cutting plane a: indiiferentp'ositionsof said plane,

out the silhouettes singly and puttingzthem together in their proper succession and 'rela-ll tive position there is produceda fojrm,the in- I tervals of which arethe'n filled" up with a plastic material; or -to make a relief reproduction by the gelatin method the negatives obtained can be exposed successively over one and the same photographic plate, and by printing, for instance, from the latter on a,

chrome-gelatin layer and by swelling the gelatin a plastic form in relief is obtained;

To'produce all round modeled bodies-for I instance, busts-by the above apparat.us,it is necessary to take two seriesof'photographs,

oneof the front of the model andone of the back of the same, and to unitethereproductions of the 'two series together. 7

What I claim isv 1. In an apparatus fortheplasiicimitation of a model by means of photography the combination of a plurality of lights in thesame plane, and a screen havingits edge in said plane, with a photographic apparatus having 1 "its axis perpendicular tosaidplane and means for thevrelative movement of the model and of the lights and screen in thedirection of the axis of thephotographic apparatus, substaneaten; 1,

2 of a model'by means otphotography, thecoman apparatusfor theplastic imitationtially as describedan d therpurpose indi v-.

'bination-of' a carriage, a; plurality of lights, t

"in one and the sameperpe'ndicular plane thereon and a'sc'r'een 'therein,having its edge in said plane, with a photographic apparatus 4.6 and-means forthe relative movement of the 1 said carriage andlof the model'in the direc- ,tion'of the axis of the photographic appara-' tus, substantially as purpose indicated.-

described and for the Inan apparatus for the plastic imitation 'ofa model by means of photography, the cornbinationof a movable carriage, a plur'ality of lights'in one plane thereon, and ascreenhaving itsxedge inthesamep'lane; together-with ,aphotographic apparatus, adapted to take a series of consecutive-photographs and means connecting said-consecutive photOgraphicap paratus with the movable carriage andadapted to move the said carriage in accordance with the successive photographs'of the said model substantially as described and for the purpose indicated.

In witness'wh reof I have signed this specification in the presence of two Witnesses. WILLY ALFREDCARL SELKE. Witnesses: p v I 'WOLDEMAR HAUPT,"

HENRY HASPER. 

